Door for a railway box car opening

ABSTRACT

A vertically extending door disposed to overlie and snugly engage frame members forming the boundaries of an opening and outwardly swingable for release of sealing pressure with provision for retention of said displacement throughout longitudinal door movement, said displaced end of the door being skid mounted and arranged for transfer to wheel mounting for longitudinal movement. The improvement further relates to door structure including frame members contoured to hold resilient seals and interlocking planks intermediate the frame members presenting uninterrupted planar surface for direct contact with free flowing lading. It is necessary, to avoid misunderstanding of certain terms used herein, to describe what is covered by these terms. Thus, regardless of which direction the door moves when being opened or closed, The leading end of the door is the vertical edge thereof on which the latching mechanism associated with shaft 97 is mounted, The trailing end of the door is the vertical edge thereof remote from the leading edge, and Swinging movement of the door about its trailing end involves movement of the door leading end away from the box car body in an arc about the door trailing end.

[451 Apr. 30, 1974 DOOR FOR A RAILWAY BOX CAR OPENING [76] Inventor: George B. Dorey, 540 Cote Saint Antoine Rd., Westmount, Quebec, Canada [22] Filed: Sept. 29, 1969 [21] Appl. N0.: 861,940

[52] US. Cl. 49/225, 49/449 [51] Int. Cl. E03d 15/10 [58] Field of Search 49/449, 209, 214, 217, 49/222, 225, 472, 474, 426, 276, 278

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,059,290 10/1962 Tobin 49/225 Primary ExaminerKenneth Downey Attorney, Agent, or FirmNelson M. Ellison [5 7 ABSTRACT A vertically extending door disposed to overlie and snugly engage frame members forming the boundaries of an opening and outwardly swingable for release of sealing pressure with provision for retention of said displacement throughout longitudinal door movement, said displaced end of the door being skid mounted and arranged for transfer to wheel mounting for longitudinal movement. The improvement further relates to door structure including frame members contoured to hold resilient seals and interlocking planks intermediate the frame members presenting uninterrupted planar surface for direct contact with free flowing lading.

It is necessary, to avoid misunderstanding of certain terms used herein, to describe what is covered by these terms. Thus, regardless of which direction the door moves when being opened or closed,

The leading end of the door is the vertical edge thereof on which the latching mechanism associated with shaft 97 is mounted,

The trailing end of the door is the vertical edge thereof remote from the leading edge, and

Swinging movement of the door about its trailing end involves movement of the door leading end away from the box car body in an are about the door trailing end.

8 Claims, 19 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPNU 1 M 7 3,807,092

SHEEIhUFd FIG.I5

ait 88 DOOR FOR A RAILWAY BOX CAR OPENING FIELD OF THE INVENTION The improvement has for one of its objects among others the provision of a railway box car door extending beyond the confines of a doorway opening in overlapping relation with frame members and adapted to be forced in tight sealing contact therewith, thereby obtaining with an overlying door the advantages of the socalled plug door and dispensing with the heavy and precise frame work associated with an inset door.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction admitting the use of resilient seals around the door opening including means for relieving sealing pressure by effecting outward swinging movement about one end of the door and retention of such displacement throughout longitudinal movement of the door. Associated with the swinging movement of the door is the use of a novel system of running gear including a skid mounting for the displaceable end of the door in its swinging movement and when at rest with provision for transfer to wheel support for longitudinal movement of the door.

A further object of the invention is the attainment of a door structure providing strength and rigidity for doors of increased length to meet requirements for longer openings resulting from the employment of lift trucks in loading and unloading box cars. The lengthened doors with attendant increase in weight augment the existing difficulties incidental to door movement and by reason of the increase in size tend to warp and bend, thereby accentuating the problem of weatherproofing around the door openings.

The conventional system of reinforcing the body portion of metallic car doors has heretofore been largely confined to embossments in the door plates resulting in hollows which by retaining lading render the doors unsuitable for movement against the pressure of free flowing lading such as wheat. It is still a further object of the improvement to provide a door structure having an interior face presenting a single planar surface for contact with lading and still maintain strength and rigidity by incorporating a large number of box shaped reinforcements. The employment of such a planar surface combined with outward swing of the door about its trailing end and moving the door at a receding angle to the lading is of advantage in operation with free flowing lading.

The invention further resides in certain features of construction and detail of parts such as will hereinafter be described and claimed.

For further comprehension of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein an embodiment of the improvement is shown as applied to a conventional railway box car.

IN SAID DRAWINGS on a line FIG. 4 is a broken sectional view showing in greater detail part of FIG. 3 on an enlarged scale to more fully illustrate the structure of the framing and the interlocking plank.

FIG. 5 is a broken perspective view of the four-sided frame and plank assembly with the resilient lap seals in position.

FIG. 6 is a fractional perspective view of one of the corners of the upper frame member.

FIG. 7 is a fractional perspective view of the lower corner of one of the vertical frame members.

FIG. 8 is a fractional perspective view of a portion of the lower frame members associated with the part shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a broken fractional elevational view of a part of FIG. 1 showing on an enlarged scale the lower portion of the operating mechanism in latched position.

FIG. 10 is a sectional plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 9 with the addition of the structure at the trailing end of the door.

FIG. 11 is a horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on a line 11 11 of FIG. 9 showing the shaft and latching means in retaining position.

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11 except that the shaft is shown as'positioned with the door in outwardly swung position.

FIG. 13 is a broken vertical fractional sectional view taken through the door and car structure with the door retained in outwardly swung position, said view being taken at a location corresponding to a line 13 13 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged detached elevational exterior view of the combination friction seat and roller supporting means with the outer wall of the bracket eliminated to better show the structure.

FIG. 15 is a vertical sectional view of the structure shown in FIG. 14 as taken on a line 15- 15.

FIG. 16 is a vertical elevational view similar to FIG. 14 except as viewed from the opposite side and indicating the elevating operations incidental to movement of the door in opposite directions.

FIG. 17 is a vertical front elevational view of the top rear retaining bracket as seen in relation to the interengaging flange.

FIG. 18 is a side view of the structure shown in FIG. 17 as viewed from right to left.

FIG. 19 is a horizontal sectional view taken on a line 19 19 of FIG. 17.

Referring now to the drawings wherein the car structure of a railway box car is indicated at A, the door opening at B and the improved door at C. The car structure A includes a top sill member 10 of generally Z shape with a depending flange I1 and a lower sill member 12 of conventional bulb angle formation including a horizontally extending flange 13 and a depending flange 14 which carries a series of brackets 15 for supporting an angle shaped trackway 16. The trackway 16 includes a horizontally disposed flange l7 and a depending flange 18, said trackway being mounted on the brackets to face inwardly towards the car side. Secured to said sill members by riveting or otherwise are thin metal plates 19 constituting the car sheathing, the continuity of which is interrupted by the doorway opening B and connects withvertical post members 20 and 21 forming front and rear door posts.

The posts 20 and 21 are preferably of channel shape to present transversely spaced front and rear walls 22 and 23 respectively connected by a transversely extending wall 24. The said walls 24 24 of the members and 21 define the vertical boundaries of the doorway opening B and the top and bottom boundaries of said doorway opening are defined at the top by an assembly 25 of two angle shaped members and at the bottom by a threshold plate member 26. The said members 25 and 26 are formed with vertical walls 27 and 28 respectively disposed in alignment with front walls 22 22 of the vertical posts 20 and 21 to present a continuous planar surface extending completely around the doorway opening in a common plane against which the door C is adapted to bear when in closed position.

The door C generally consists of an assembly including a four-sided bordering frame structure formed by top and bottom members 29 and 30 meeting with vertically disposed members 31 and 32, and integrally united by welding at their meeting locations.

The frame members 29, 30, 31 and 32 each include a generally channel shaped section with a wall portion 33 extending flatwise in substantially the outer plane of the door and having inner and outer walls 34 and 35 extending inwardly and transversely therefrom. The inner walls 34 of members 30, 31 and 32 each include a marginal flange 36 extending therefrom towards the other flange 35 for a limited distance.

The top frame member 29 includes an upper angle shaped extension formed by walls 37 and 38 with the formerleading upwardly from the margin of wall 35 and in registering alignment with flanges 36 of members 30, 31 and 32, thus presenting a continuous seating face extending around the opening B for limiting inward movement of the door. The said walls 37 and 38 are contained within the confines of a Z shaped weather guard 39 secured to the depending flange 11 of sill member 10 and having a depending wall 40 disposed in alignment with the depending wall 18 of trackway member 16. The vertical member 32 at the trailing end of the door is also formed with a flange 41 disposed in alignment with and in continuation of wall 36 forming an angle shaped end for the vertical trailing end of the door.'The flange 41 carries a plate member 42, preferably formed of spring steel, to present angularly related'walls 43' and 44 with wall 43 secured to the flange 41 as at 45 and the adjacent wall 44 extending at an acute angle thereto to wedgingly engage the overhanging outer wall 22 of the door post 21 and thereby force the door inwardly upon movement of the door in a closing-direction.

The space intermediate the framing members is filled by horizontally extending extruded interengaging planks 46 and 47 assembled to present flat sections 48 alternated with box shaped sections 49. The flat plate sections 48 of the plank 46 include a portion of the box shape in the form of a channel having a web 50 extending substantially at a normal to the plate portion and presenting flanges 51 and 52, the margins of said flanges being shouldered as indicated at 53 and 54 for interlocking with similarly formed shoulders of the complementary interlocking planks when adjoining planks are pressed together in interlocking relation in tongue and groove fashion.

The complementary half box section identified with plank 47 which in turn engages with the top member 29 differs from the planks 46 in that the shoulders 53 and 54 are omitted and the overlapping flanges consist of flat plates as seen at 55, 56, 57 and 58 respectively thereby allowing for limited sliding action to compensate for variations in plank spacing and manufacturing tolerances. A half box section is integrally incorporated with the lower frame member 30 to connect with the complementary plank member 46. The plank elements are adapted to be pressed into interlocking relation under pressure and to this end approaches to the shoulders 53 and 54 are inclined toform wedge-like bevels as seen at 59 and 60 respectively.

The various planks when in assembled relation combine to present an uninterrupted planar surface 61 for the inner face of the door. The 'inner walls 34 of the vertical frame members carry lips 62 forming seats for positioning the ends of the planks and forming shoulders for receiving small uniting welds 63 with the flat portions of the planks as required. Likewise a beading 64 extends upwardly from the walls 34 above the level of wall 33 to form a base for welding the top wall of the box sections as indicated at 65.

Extending inwardly from the inner face of wall 33 of the door framing members 29, 30, 31 and 32 is an integrally formed anchoring groove formed in part by a pair of inwardly converging walls 66 66 between which a resilient sealing element 67 is held. The said element 67 includes a wedge shape base portion 68 retained -in the groove and leads upwardly therefrom to present a flaring portion 69 ending in a lip seal tip 70 normally lying slightly beyond the walls 36 of the frame members. The door C'when in operative closed and latched position covering the doorway B is adapted to be forced inwardly against the face of the doorway bordering members with the lip seal deflected.

The door is fitted at its lower end with running gear including a wheel assembly 71 adjacent the trailing end having a wheel 72 rotatably mounted at 73 on a bracket 74 which in turn is disposed in the angle formed by walls 35 and 41 of the door frame member 32 and secured thereto, said bracket having a hook shaped depending extension 75 adapted to embrace the vertical wall 18 of the trackway 16 to limit outward movement of the lower part of the door. The upper trailing end of the door is likewise limited in its outward movement by a guide bracket 76 also positioned in the angle formed by wall 41 and secured thereto as at 77 and to outer wall 33 through the medium of an overlying flange 78 as at 79. The running gear includes a tilting assembly 80 distally spaced from the assembly 71 and includes a skid support 81 and a wheel 82 adjacent to said skid. The assembly 80 is pivotally mounted on a bracket 83 at 84, the parts being arranged to transmit door loading through the skid 81 when the door is at rest or in swinging motion and the wheel 82 speced from the track a limited extent as seen at 85 (FIGS. 14 and 15). The use of a skid support when the door is at rest in combination with a roller support at the trailing end door guards against violent door movements under the influence of buffing shocks. Consequent on tilting movement of the assembly 80 skid loading is transferred -to the wheel 82 and the latter then bears on the track and the skid is then spaced from the trackway as seen at 86, it being understood that such transfer involves a limited upward swing of the door about the roller wheel 72 at the trailing end of the door.

The supporting bracket 83 includes a wall 87 overlying the door and a pair of longitudinally extending laterally spaced walls 88 88 disposed below the level of the door frame bottom member between which the assembly 80 is disposed and which also carry the pivot 84. The assembly 80 is in the form of a bell crank lever including an upstanding arm 89 extending at a normal to the skid 81 and a pair of horizontally extending spaced arms 90 90 between which the wheel 82 is disposed. Tilting movement of the assembly 80 is effected by an operating handle 91 pivotally connected with the upper part of arm 89 at 92. The handle is formed with curved rocker-like bearing surfaces extending in opposite directions from the pivot 92 as seen at 93 and 94 for rocking engagement with bearing surfaces 95 and 96 forming part of wall 87 of the bracket 83. Outward movement of the door at the location of supporting bracket 83 is limited by a hook shaped downward extension 83a adapted to extend around the depending wall 18 of the trackway 16.

A feature of importance in the operation of a door of the character described where close sealing contact with framing is essential resides in the arrangement employed for relieving the pressure of the door by swinging the forward end of the door outwardly about its trailing end and maintaining said outward displacement through the range of its longitudinal movement. The means provided for imparting swinging movement to the door include a vertically disposed shaft 97 rotatably mounted on and adjacent the forward end of the door in bearings 98 and having extensions 99 99 at each end thereof lying in a plane parallel with the guiding walls 18 and 40 of the members 16 and 39 respectively. Cam-like fingers 100 are fixedly attached to the projecting ends 99 of the shaft by welding as seen at 101 and 102. The fingers 100 are formed with an outer convex contour 103 and an inner concave contour 104 for co-operation with brackets 105, said brackets forming longitudinal extensions of the respective members 16 and 39.

Inasmuch as the construction and function of the top and bottom brackets 105 are similar, the description will be confined to one of said brackets. The bracket 105 includes a horizontally disposed wall section 106 having an open-sided pocket 107 for admitting the shaft 97 inwardly of the guiding walls 18 and 40 when the door is in closed position and depending from said wall is'a box-like enclosure arranged for contacting with a finger 100 on three sides thereof including an arcuate shaped bearing sector 108 for embracing relation with the concave contour 104 of the finger for drawing the door towards closed position and latching it closed (FIGS. and 11). The rear wall 109 forms a seat for engagement by the tip 110 of the finger for displacing the door outwardly (FIG. 11). Beyond the pocket 107, the enclosure includes a transversely extending wall 111 and leading outwardly therefrom at an incline towards the door is a wall 112 constituting a runway for engagement with the convex surface 103 of the finger to initiate opening movement of the door and disrupting wedging engagement at the trailing end of the door. It will be noted by reference to the conventional dot and dash lines in FIG. 10 that the finger projects beyond the door when retained in its outwardly displaced position and coincidently with the further movement of the door, the convex surface 103 rides on the runway and effects rotation of the shaft thereby allowing full travel of the door towards closed position. It will thus be seen that the mechanism associated with the shaft operates to draw the door to closed position, latch it closed, displaceit outwardly, initiate opening thereof,

displace the swinging end of the door outwardly and maintain said displacement throughout the longitudinal movement of the door.

The various functions cited are carried out by rotation of the shaft 97 and for this purpose a lever 113 is pivotally mounted at 114 on a bracket 115 for vertical swinging movement, said bracket being fixed to the shaft and incorporating a stop 116 to limit its released swinging movement as shown by conventional lines in FIG. 10. The door is adapted to be latched by a forward and inward swinging movement of the lever as seen in FIGS. 10 and 11 and retention of the latching position effected by swinging the lever downwardly to rest rearwardly of shoulder 117 of the bracket 118 as best seen in FIGS. 9 and 10. The bracket 115 is extended to lie above the latch in its retaining position and is there provided with a lug 119 on which a slotted sealing pin 120 is mounted and retained by a washer 121 and rivet 122. The pin 120 when in locking position extends through an oening 123 formed in horizontally extending wall 124 and said extension of the pin is apertured at 125 for the reception of a sealing ribbon conventionally indicated at 126 as threaded through said aperture and through an aligned aperture 127 formed in a vertical wall 128 of the bracket. It will be seen that the sealing pin when in sealing position prevents outward movement of the lever 113. The operation and advantages of the improved mechanism for moving the door may be best understood by reference to the various movements involved in one opening and closing cycle of the door. Assuming the door in closed and latched position as seen in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 the pin 120 is'lifted and swung to an overbalanced position permitting release of the lever 115 by swinging it upwardly and releasing it from the shoulder 117 as indicated conventionally in FIG. 9 and the lever is then swung in an anti-clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 10 swinging the fingers in a direction as indicated at 129 with the tip 110 sweeping along the face of rear wall 109 thereby displacing the shaft outwardly. Continued rotation of the shaft in the indicated direction brings the outer convex surface 103 into successive engagement with transverse walls 111 and 112 thereby moving the door rearwardly and disrupting the wedging relation between wall 44 of the member 42 and the interengaging flange 22 of the frame member 21, the door parts then assuming the position shown conventionally in FIG. 10. It will be understood that the entire door movement above described has been effected with the forward end of the door carried on the skid.

Further uni-directional movement of the door is carried out by moving the handle 91 in the required direction as seen in FIG. 16 at 130 which by reason of a rocking movement of the curved surface 93 on bearing surface 95 effects a tilting movement of the bell crank lever transferring loading from the skid seat 81 to the roller 82 and the door is then moved on the wheels. Closing movement of the door is effected by reversal of the various operations described.

What I claim is:

1. In a railway box car having a doorway opening defined by frame members presenting coplanar outer surfaces beyond the opening and a door for closing the opening having peripheral frame members and being larger than the opening and overlapping said coplanar surfaces in tight sealing contact therewith, comprising:

a. means operative when said door is in nearly closed position to impart to it a closing movement and a swinging movement about its trailing end for forcing it into fully closed and tightly sealed contact with all said coplanar surfaces, said means operative comprising;

1. a shaft rotatably mounted on the door with extensions above and below the door,

2. fingers fixedly secured to said extensions of the shaft,

3. said fingers having an inner concave contour and an outer convex contour,

4. bracket means having an open ended pocket for receiving each extension of the shaft in the closed position of the door,

5. shouldered means on the bracket means interposed between the pockets coacting with the curved contour of the fingers for drawing the door inwardly against the frame members,

6. an inclined runway surface on the opposite side of the pocket coacting with the convex surface of the fingers for swinging the door outwardly and initiating opening movement thereof,

7. said means being also operative when said door is fully closed to impart to it a swinging movement about its trailing end to release said tightly sealed contact and to initiate opening movement of the door, and

b. means for maintaining said door in said swung position during opening and closing movement of the door.'

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein,

a. the means for maintaining the outwardly swung position of the door during opening and closing movement comprises,

1. guide rail members extending longitudinally of the door in a plane parallel with the shaft extensions,

2. said guide rail members being spaced outwardly of the shaft retaining pockets, and

3. forming trackways along which the extended ends of the shaft move during opening and closing movement of the door.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2 wherein,

a. said fingers project forwardly beyond the shaft upon closing movement of the door with the convex surfaces facing outwardly, and

b. the inclined surface of the associated bracket means is positioned to engage said convex surface of the fingers and to impart rotation to the shaft.

4. The invention as set forth in claim l'wherein,

a. a resilient sealing element is interposed between the door and doorway bordering frame comprising,

1. a base anchoring portion having upwardly inwardly converging walls forming a wedge like section and 2, having a curved portion leading upwardly and sideways therefrom to form a lip seal, and

3. anchoring means on the door for retaining the sealing element in position comprising a channel groove having upwardly inwardly sloping walls forming complementary formed holding means for the base portion of the sealing element.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 4 wherein,

a. the door is provided adjacent each edge thereof with a said sealing element,

b. the sealing elements are mounted with the door frame members,

c. said door frame members are open on the side inwardly of the door, and

d. said sealing elements extend through the openings sufficiently to press against the doorway frame members when said door is swung into fully closed position.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein,

a. means for holding the door closed in tight sealing contact against the coplanar surfaces comprises, 1 a shouldered latching bracket carried by the car structure beyond the swingable end of the door,

2 a handle extending from the shaft in a general direction opposite to the fingers,

3 said handle being pivotally mounted for vertical swinging movement and adapted to engage rearwardly of the latching bracket shoulder for retaining the concave contour of the finger in seating engagement with the shouldered means on the bracket means having an open ended pocket.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein,

a. an underlying trackway supports the door during its swinging and opening and closing movements, b. a roller wheel carried at the trailing end of the door rests on the trackway,

c. a tilting skid and roller assembly forms a support for the door distally from its trailing end to provide skid mounting for the door during its swinging movement and when closed at rest,

d. said assembly being tiltable to transfer the door support to roller mounting during opening and closing of the door, 7

e. the tilting skid and roller assembly is a pivotally mounted bell crank device with the first arm means extending upwardly from the pivot and second arm means extending laterally from the pivot,

f. said roller being mounted on said laterally extending arm means at one side of said pivot and said skid being mounted on said upwardly extending arm means directly below said pivot, and

g. means for tilting the assembly for transferring the door load from skid to roller comprising,

1. a lever pivotally connected with the upwardly extending arm means,

2, arcuate shaped bearings on the lever disposed on opposite sides of the lever pivot, and

3 trackways associated with the door forming seats coacting with the arcuate bearings of the lever for unidirectional tilting of the bell crank device upon bi-directional movement of the lever.

8. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein,

a. the door comprises,

1 a rectangular frame composed of frame members having parallel surfaces spaced inwardly and outwardly of the railway box car,

2. said frame being wider and higher than the box car doorway around its edges,

3. said frame members including channel shaped portions facing inwardly of the frame forming a recess all around the inner edge of the frame,

4. plank members each comprising an elongated flat wall section bounded on its long edges with channel shaped portions,

5. said channel shaped portions being constructed and arranged to interfit a plurality of said plank members in tongue and groove fashion,

6. a plurality of said plank members arranged in parallel in said fashion with their ends and the outer edges of the two outer planks in the said recess of the door frame,

7 said door on its inner side presenting a flat surface to the box car interior,

8 said door being provided along one side edge closed and latched position. 

1. In a railway box car having a doorway opening defined by frame members presenting coplanar outer surfaces beyond the opening and a door for closing the opening having peripheral frame members and being larger than the opening and overlapping said coplanar surfaces in tight sealing contact therewith, comprising: a. means operative when said door is in nearly closed position to impart to it a closing movement and a swinging movement about its trailing end for forcing it into fully closed and tightly sealed contact with all said coplanar surfaces, said means operative comprising;
 1. a shaft rotatably mounted on the door with extensions above and below the door,
 2. fingers fixedly secured to said extensions of the shaft,
 3. said fingers having an inner concave contour and an outer convex contour,
 4. bracket means having an open ended pocket for receiving each extension of the shaft in the closed position of the door,
 5. shouldered means on the bracket means interposed between the pockets coacting with the curved contour of the fingers for drawing the door inwardly against the frame members,
 6. an inclined runway surface on the opposite side of the pocket coacting with the convex surface of the fingers for swinging the door outwardly and initiating opening movement thereof,
 7. said means being also operative when said door is fully closed to impart to it a swinging movement about its trailing end to release said tightly sealed contact and to initiate opening movement of the door, and b. means for maintaining said door in said swung position during opening and closing movement of the door.
 2. having a curved portion leading upwardly and sideways therefrom to form a lip seal, and
 2. fingers fixedly secured to said extensions of the shaft,
 2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein, a. the means for maintaining the outwardly swung position of the door during opening and closing movement comprises,
 2. said guide rail members being spaced outwardly of the shaft retaining pockets, and
 2. arcuate shaped bearings on the lever disposed on opposite sides of the lever pivot, and
 2. a handle extending from the shaft in a general direction opposite to the fingers,
 2. said frame being wider and higher than the box car doorway around its edges,
 3. said frame members including channel shaped portions facing inwardly of the frame forming a recess all around the inner edge of the frame,
 3. said handle being pivotally mounted for vertical swinging movement and adapted to engage rearwardly of the latching bracket shoulder for retaining the concave contour of the finger in seating engagement with the shouldered means on the bracket means having an open ended pocket.
 3. forming trackways along which the extended ends of the shaft move during opening and closing movement of the door.
 3. The invention as set forth in claim 2 wherein, a. said fingers project forwardly beyond the shaft upon closing movement of the door with the convex surfaces facing outwardly, and b. the incliNed surface of the associated bracket means is positioned to engage said convex surface of the fingers and to impart rotation to the shaft.
 3. said fingers having an inner concave contour and an outer convex contour,
 3. anchoring means on the door for retaining the sealing element in position comprising a channel groove having upwardly inwardly sloping walls forming complementary formed holding means for the base portion of the sealing element.
 3. trackways associated with the door forming seats coacting with the arcuate bearings of the lever for unidirectional tilting of the bell crank device upon bi-directional movement of the lever.
 4. bracket means having an open ended pocket for receiving each extension of the shaft in the closed position of the door,
 4. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein, a. a resilient sealing element is interposed between the door and doorway bordering frame comprising,
 4. plank members each comprising an elongated flat wall section bounded on its long edges with channel shaped portions,
 5. said channel shaped portions being constructed and arranged to interfit a plurality of said plank members in tongue and groove fashion,
 5. shouldered means on the bracket means interposed between the pockets coacting with the curved contour of the fingers for drawing the door inwardly against the frame members,
 5. The invention as set forth in claim 4 wherein, a. the door is provided adjacent each edge thereof with a said sealing element, b. the sealing elements are mounted with the door frame members, c. said door frame members are open on the side inwardly of the door, and d. said sealing elements extend through the openings sufficiently to press against the doorway frame members when said door is swung into fully closed position.
 6. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein, a. means for holding the door closed in tight sealing contact against the coplanar surfaces comprises,
 6. an inclined runway surface on the opposite side of the pocket coacting with the convex surface of the fingers for swinging the door outwardly and initiating opening movement thereof,
 6. a plurality of said plank members arranged in parallel in said fAshion with their ends and the outer edges of the two outer planks in the said recess of the door frame,
 7. said door on its inner side presenting a flat surface to the box car interior,
 7. said means being also operative when said door is fully closed to impart to it a swinging movement about its trailing end to release said tightly sealed contact and to initiate opening movement of the door, and b. means for maintaining said door in said swung position during opening and closing movement of the door.
 7. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein, a. an underlying trackway supports the door during its swinging and opening and closing movements, b. a roller wheel carried at the trailing end of the door rests on the trackway, c. a tilting skid and roller assembly forms a support for the door distally from its trailing end to provide skid mounting for the door during its swinging movement and when closed at rest, d. said assembly being tiltable to transfer the door support to roller mounting during opening and closing of the door, e. the tilting skid and roller assembly is a pivotally mounted bell crank device with the first arm means extending upwardly from the pivot and second arm means extending laterally from the pivot, f. said roller being mounted on said laterally extending arm means at one side of said pivot and said skid being mounted on said upwardly extending arm means directly below said pivot, and g. means for tilting the assembly for transferring the door load from skid to roller comprising,
 8. said door being provided along one side edge with a plate member for wedgingly engaging a doorway frame member,
 8. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein, a. the door comprises,
 9. said door being provided along the opposite side edge with means for latching said door closed,
 10. top and bottom edges of the door being provided with means for movably supporting said door on said car, and b. said door structure, plate member, and latching means all cooperating with said doorway frame to tightly close the car doorway when the door is in its closed and latched position. 